Edmond Campbell, News Coordinator

Construction of a $2.7 billion (US$40 million) private hospital in Portmore, home to more than 300,000 Jamaicans, is projected to begin in July this year.

CayJam Developments Limited, a property development company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, will conclude a deal with a government-owned entity by month end or early May, to acquire about 100 acres of land to establish the hospital.

Chief Executive Officer of CayJam Development Limited, Howard Peterson, told The Gleaner yesterday that the 120-bed multi-specialty tertiary hospital would feature the latest state-of-the-art medical equipment and information technology systems.

Three-bedroom town houses

In addition, CayJam plans to spend additional sums to build 200 three-bedroom town houses around a five-acre man-made lake within the gated Portmore hospital complex, to be situated on lands between Newlands and Garveymeade.

Mr. Peterson disclosed that the facility was set for completion in 2008 with commissioning of the hospital targeted for early 2009.

CayJam Developments signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Portmore municipality in March 2005 to carry out the project.

But after a lengthy delay to the start of the project, Mr. Peterson said as soon as the agreement to purchase the land from a government agency was inked, the project would get under way "rapidly".

The CayJam Developments CEO said jobs would be created for Jamaicans during the construction phase, as well as after completion of the building. He said more than 1,000 persons would be employed to the complex.

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com